Winter Sleep
by PorcupineCuty
Summary: Whilst on a mission to the Great Glacier, Cloud and Zack gets separated from the rest of the group. Slight CloudXZack Chapter Four: Get yer gear and get on that SHIP! What? I ain't got yer underwear!
1. Chapter I: A New Mission

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Final Fantasy VII. It is the property of Square-Enix. This is purely for the fun of writing and for people's enjoyment.

**Title: **Winter Sleep

**Chapter Title: **A New Mission

**Rating:** PG-13 Just because I'm not sure if many eight-year-olds are into this kind of thing… even though I was when I was at that age. XD This rating goes for the entire fic.

**Pairing(s): **Cloud/Zack. Yes. Some romance does happen even if it's not too big. XP Well, there's a lot of hints along the way… and some cute moments! XD The only pairing throughout the entire fic.

**Word Count: **2,909

**Warning(s): **Contains a bit of shounen-ai. If you are not into that kind of stuff, then this fic is most likely not for you. This is for the entire fic.

**Summary:** Zack is assigned a new mission. Whom shall he bring along?

**Dedication: **To everyone who is absolutely infatuated with this pairing!

**A/N: **Alright then. This was actually meant to be a One-Shot but it kept growing so I decided to make it into a Chapter fic. It's about my favorite pairing. This is actually my first attempt at writing a non-crack English fic with these two that's romantic. I was actually inspired to write this fic from the song _**Winter Sleep by OLIVIA**_ which I believe fits Cloud perfectly in this case. This particular fic expresses the anxiety that Cloud felt whilst he was in ShinRa and how he longed for someone to help him make it all go away. Zack is to be that person, giving his caring nature and my twisted brain. XD I wanted it to be somewhat romantic but I didn't want to only add fluff so there will only be a small part of shounen-ai towards the end of the fic. Most of it is hinting towards both Zack and Cloud loving each other. It's basically a romantic comedy. Cloud will be angsting, as usual, but not a whole lot. One last thing before I end my rambling, _Italics _represents what the characters are thinking. Well, I hope you enjoy! EDIT: Now fully edited with the Beta being Vix3.16! Thankies, me fwend! XD

**Winter Sleep**

**Chapter I: A New Mission**

He dragged his feet through the snow, trying to stay as close as the strong winds would allow him to his superior. The blizzard, becoming worse with each passing second, tossed him from side to side. Unable to keep himself steady in the frost, he reached out to grab the knitted sweater of his comrade. The senior officer looked back to see his junior struggling to continue on this frivolous journey, which did not seem to have an end. Glancing around his surroundings, the dark-haired man observed a small opening in the huge blocks of ice. He gently took the hand of the younger officer and coaxed him to follow the cerulean-eyed man into the dark, arctic cave.

**:Five Days Prior:**

"You've got to be kidding!" The First-Class SOLDIER's voice resounded throughout the entire facility. "There's no way we can go there at this time of year. We'll freeze to death!"

"The weather will be the least of your concerns, Fair." President Shinra stated nonchalantly, as he often did when he had to deal with such displeasures.

Zack had received his orders as soon as the sun had risen. There had been reports of an unidentifiable creature terrorizing the small village of Icicle Inn. Witnesses described seeing the monster fleeing towards the Great Glacier once its lust for destruction and human flesh had been vanquished. Zack, along with Sephiroth and a small team of lower class soldiers, was to take necessary measures and annihilate the beast. However, the cerulean-eyed man refused to go to such a place.

Midgar was engulfed in the midst of winter. All the buildings were covered in frost. The ground was enveloped in snow, and ice began growing out on every corner of the city. There was not a single child playing on the street, nor were there any cars driving on the road. With city life being demolished by Shiva, the North had to be in a much worse predicament considering the Ice Queen took refuge there.

Not wanting to deal with the constant waiting that came with making a complaint, Zack marched right up to the head of the company himself. He wanted to express the dangers that came with this mission and, perhaps, convince the corpulent man to leave it for when the blizzard had passed on through.

"You should concern yourself more with the being you are to kill." The plump, little man's mind was not easily changed, even if his ideas were daft most of the time.

_Chubby, here, must be insane to send us out in these conditions._

"But, sir, our men are not used to such climates. They'll die before we get to slay the monster."

"And what about those who are suffering from losing loved ones to the beast? Don't you think we should prevent any more lives from being taken? Besides, we have already accepted half of the agreed payment. In order to receive the rest, we need to complete the job." As usual, the President was only thinking about his greed rather than the wellbeing of the innocents. He used his pretend "caring" voice to persuade the strong-willed man in front of him to go along with the task that had been handed to him.

"I understand that, sir. I do sympathize with them, but we also have to think about the lives of the other soldiers. The monster doesn't come out in harsh conditions anyway."

"How can you be so sure of that? Just because a few lackeys filed it in the report? Nonsense. You are to be dispatched immediately to your designated area."

"But, sir-"

"That's an order!" His response was sharp and vicious, a tone he used when he felt threatened… or when he sensed he would fail to obtain capital from a mission.

"Yes, sir…" Zack reluctantly agreed to go as he swallowed his saliva firmly to keep from saying a few things to the President he may later regret. Though, knowing Zack, he would most likely enjoy the furious look on the President's face more than worrying about losing his rank.

"Excellent. Have you informed General Sephiroth that he is to accompany you to the Great Glacier?"

"No, sir. I do not wish to disturb him with such a tedious task. I am more than capable of handling this on my own."

"I see what you are trying to do, soldier, but it won't work. You need to ha-" The stout-looking man was interrupted by his inferior, which was not an intelligent move on Zack's part.

"Excuse me, sir, but you know full well that this task is nothing compared to what the General went through in the war. Why should we bother him with this when he has more important things to do?"

President Shinra let out a light sigh as he continued on with this excruciating conversation. "Fine. Have it your way, Fair. However, I will not allow you to go alone. You are still to usher a small team of soldiers to the Glacier. No less than three."

"I understand, sir. I'll get on it right away." Once again, he had unwillingly agreed to the terms that had been laid out before him.

"Good. Well, if all has been said and done, then you are free to go." With a small flick of the wrist, he turned his eyes away from the soldier and went straight back to his paperwork on top of his brand new mahogany desk.

Zack slumped his shoulders before turning to leave the office. He was always one to show his emotions whether they were exultant or poignant. He believed if a person was to be truly happy, they must let out all the negative feelings that were bringing them down. These thoughts were what made him stand tall in life.

Once out of the claustrophobic atmosphere of the diminutive room, Zack was able to perk himself right up. After all, there was no need to get down about this mission, even if it did mean heading for his utterly frozen demise. There was still one good thing that had come out of this and that made him all the more excited about the job. The President failed to specify WHOM he had to bring with him. That left the spiky-headed man to gleefully choose the three people he wanted to torture for the entire time they were away from Headquarters.

_Hmmm? I wonder whom should I pick? Certainly, it has to be someone who could hold their own and doesn't mind the cold that much. Maybe Solis? Nah… he wets himself whenever he feels a chill pass over him. What about Thohem? Decisions… decisions…._

After four hours of trying to find the perfect soldiers who would be suitable for the operation, he finally decided on two and only then made his way towards the third one. He was a bit nervous about his third choice, but felt a strange sensation building within him that urged him onwards, for some reason, telling him he needed to have this soldier by him.

_He definitely has potential, even if he thinks he doesn't. I know he'll be able to survive. The question is: Will he be willing to travel all the way to the Glacier? Probably not… oh well! If he doesn't then the only logical thing to do is knock him out and drag him there myself!_

Chuckling in spite of himself, Zack gradually made his way to the fated soldier's room to commence with "Operation: Convince or Take by Force." The optimistic man had set his mind to forcing this officer to come, especially if the younger man was keen on staying where he was. Zack eagerly knocked on the door, only to hear a quiet, gentle voice answer.

"Who is it?" He sounded as if he had just awoken from a blissful nap.

"Cloud! Stop casting Sleep on yourself and open up!"

He was able to hear a groan from the other side of the door before hearing it unlocking. As soon as the door was open, he shoved his way in to look straight at the blonde. "Did I miss something? Why are you in bed at this hour? Couldn't find someone to get laid with?" His devious smirk was one that everyone was used to. However, Cloud was in no mood for such jokes.

"Not everyone thinks about having sex, Zack. What do you want?" His voice suddenly turned venomous, which was a shock to the older soldier. Usually Cloud was more lenient when it came to his superior's sense of humor.

"Hey, buddy. What's the matter?" A sudden feeling of apprehension began to consume his body, encouraging him to stand by Cloud's side and place a hand on his subordinate's shoulder. "You seem to be tense lately. Is everything all right? You're not being picked on again, are you?"

Wanting to soothe his friend and make the worrying stop, Cloud softened up enough to bring a smile back onto Zack's face. "No. I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired. That's all." Seeing the benevolent man raise an eyebrow, he continued in a further effort to make things calm again. "Seriously. Nothing is wrong with me. I'm fine. Now, you wanted to tell me something?" He smiled weakly at his comrade even though Zack did not seem to notice the sheer fatigue in the blonde.

The grin on Zack's face grew wider now that all emotions of uneasiness had been pushed aside, removing his hand from Cloud. "I just came to tell you that you and I are to go on an adventure together!"

"No thanks. I'd rather not stick my head in a pile of Chocobo manure again." The mere recollection of the event was enough to make him shudder in his slippers. "I can't believe I trusted you enough to actually think you'd lost your Fire Materia in there."

"I can." The stifled laughter that came from his throat was only met with a callous glare from the sapphire-eyed boy. "Uh… but that's beside the point. It's not THAT kind of an adventure we are going on. It's an actual mission." Seeing no reaction from the younger one, he continued. "It's to the Great Glacier and we-"

"Are you mad? There's no way I'm going there. I'll freeze to death!"

_Déjà vu, anyone?_ Zack thought as he shuddered in recollection of the meeting he had had earlier that day with the President. He may try as he might, but he would never be able to like that man.

"Oh, come on! It's not going to be that bad. Sure the weather will be awful and maybe we'll get our heads chopped off by the monster, but it still will be fun to-"

"What monster?"

Zack told him in complete detail what they were expected to do at the Great Glacier. Making wild movements and strange sound effects, he hoped to make his story appealing enough to persuade the flaxen-haired boy to prepare himself for the departure. Unfortunately, Cloud was less enthusiastic about it than he was.

"I'd rather not go. I've already been assigned to do some tasks tomorrow."

"What kind of tasks? Guard duty?"

"No! Just… running some errands for Palmer…."

"Ew… not fun."

"I know." He let out an exasperated sigh loud enough to be heard all the way to Wutai.

"Then forget that and come with me! Fenad and Vollex are coming! Why not you too? Besides, freezing is a better way to die than by Palmer's awful stench."

For the first time since they began conversing, Cloud chuckled more than he intended to. "No matter how it happens, I don't think there _is_ a better way to pass on."

"Well, if you're going to get 'As A Matter of Fact' on me, why not do it on the way to the Glacier?" He drew his face extremely close to Cloud's, grinning like a fool, hoping that would make the fair-skinned boy decide to finally leave to the Ice Mountain.

"Down, boy. Puppy won't get any treats if he keeps being a nuisance."

"But… but… Puppy just wants his Chew Toy to be with him all the time. Is that really so wrong?" His lower lip began to tremble, a gesture that was one of Cloud's biggest weaknesses.

"There's no way you're going to give up on this, is there?"

"Nope!"

With his final sigh for the night, the young boy made his ever-dreaded decision. "Alright. I'll go."

"OH YEAH BABY!" Whilst letting his excitement get the better of him, Zack jumped on top of Cloud, putting one arm around his neck and poking his cheek with his free hand. "Just you watch. This is going to be a great experience for you. We're gonna build you up nice and strong. Oh, and if you get real cold, I'll be sure to keep you warm for the night." The mischievous smirk he gave was Cloud's cue to get this man out of his room.

Cloud casually lifts his companion's arm off his neck and tenderly pushed him out the door. "Good night, Zack."

"Good night? But it's only seven!"

Before Zack could realize what was going on, Cloud was back in his room and had shut the door in his face. Even though he felt the blonde had poor manners, he was okay with such rudeness.

_Looks like he's feeling a lot better than before. That's good._

"Good night, Cloud!" He smiled peacefully to himself as he made his way back to his own room on the other side of the building.


	2. Chapter II: Drifter

**Chapter Title: **Drifter

**Word Count: **4,282

**Summary:** Cloud should know better than to wander off during such an important time.

**Dedication: **To all those who enjoy spending time in a fantasy realm instead of the real world.

**A/N: **Here's chapter two! I seemed to have given the president a bit of a sadistic side (even though we all know it's true) in this chapter. Perhaps he never really tortured his minions. Perhaps he did. Either way because of my twisted brain, Cloud must suffer with having his room in an awkward place. This chapter is a bit out there than the rest of my chapters so… get used to it! XD Enjoy! EDIT: Re-edited and I founds me a Beta! Goes by the name Vix3.16 She edited my first chapter, too, as you may have noticed. In fact, she's going to be Betaing the rest of this fic… and maybe some future ones… if she's interested. XD Thanks again and enjoy all!

**Chapter II: Drifter**

The next morning, Zack hauled his bag that he had packed the night before over his shoulder and eagerly made his way down to the front entrance. He couldn't sleep throughout the entire night. Despite the dangers this mission called for, the eighteen-year-old was just too excited to even worry about what appalling situations might take place. All he kept thinking about was being able to spend time with Cloud. For reasons he could not comprehend, Zack always felt a strong connection to him. Whenever he wanted some companionship, it was Cloud to whom he ran to. Even though most of the time the blonde was distant and introverted, Zack tried his best to make Cloud feel more relaxed and at home with him. His gentle nature wouldn't allow for anything less.

He waited patiently outside for forty-five minutes for his entire unit of four, himself included, as well as the truck that was to carry them to Junon where they were to take a ship to the port near Icicle Inn, to arrive at 8:00 A.M. sharp before searching for the missing member. Fenad and Vollex were all set after only a few minutes of the prearranged time. However, Cloud was nowhere to be found. They each set off to search for him in vain.

_Where in the world could you be? _Zack wondered for the eighty-seventh time. _It's getting late!_ _If I find you searching through my Porcelain Doll Collection, there'll be hell to pay!_

Zack's first place in his search for his subordinate would be the only location where Cloud usually spent his time at: His bedroom. For reasons that simply escaped Zack's vast knowledge of the book _Understanding Blondes 101_, Cloud seemed to think that avoiding everyone would be an effortless task if he were to hide out in the one place where he would normally be found at. Luckily, Zack had keen detective skills which always served to prove useful when hunting down his little buddy.

Cloud's room was located down a long hall, in-between a small training area which ShinRa's foot soldiers constantly occupied and a lounge where the suits of the company inhabited. The president had a unique, if not vile, sense of humor. When approving the blueprints of ShinRa's headquarters, he had the vision of having the low level soldiers constantly tortured by placing the rooms in specific locations where they wouldn't get even an ounce of relaxation. For those who had the luxury of having their very own room, for example First Class, this anguish was never known to them. Naturally, having a room made just to his liking, Zack had no idea how many restless nights Cloud had to endure due to the constant yelling of the foot soldiers and the nonstop groaning of the higher-ups. In fact, the sapphire-eyed boy never knew what the suits did in that lounge. All he knew was that he was glad there was a wall blocking out its content.

Inches away from the door, Zack tried collecting himself long enough to not bite off the young soldier's head. Although it was known that the First-Class SOLDIER had an upbeat attitude, he grew anxious knowing that the truck to Junon was moments away from driving off to their destination, without two of its members.

_So help me, midget, if you make me miss my one chance of skipping kitchen duty, I'll have to find a nice stick to sodomize you with!_

Turning the doorknob rather roughly, he charged into the room only to find it completely empty. He glanced around and found a bag next to Cloud's bed. Zack picked up the bag, only to see that it was too light to be Cloud's travel bag. Zack slammed his free hand to his forehead, cursing under his breath.

_You're kidding? He didn't even bother to pack. That little brat!_

It was at that moment that Zack had a stunning realization. This was the first time he was alone in Cloud's room! Certainly he would be able to find something to use against the little turd when the need arose. If there was one thing that the cerulean-eyed man was good at, it was getting blackmail on all who dared cross him… or when he wanted something they had.

He made his way over to Cloud's dresser. On top was a photo of a beautiful blonde woman with dazzling blue eyes.

_Who's that? Ah, who cares! I'm here for blackmailing purposes only!!!_

Zack opened the first drawer. What he found was his pot-of-gold! It was a drawer filled with underwear. From regular boxers to skimpy bikinis, this was the kind of "dark secret" the dark-haired man was hoping for. Now, it was time for him to take a thorough look of said underwear.

The first of the bunch to catch his eyes was the hot pink bikini that yelled "Touch Me in the Sacred Area." He held it between his index finger and thumb, almost as if disgusted yet intrigued by its design, and moved it extremely close to his face.

"Whoa… I didn't know Cloud was into wearing this sort of thing. Actually, now that I think about it… makes sense why he's grumpy all the time." He began chuckling out loud when suddenly he felt a rather cold hand being placed on his shoulder. Considering the shirt he wore was thick, the thought of being able to _feel_ the chilly fingers sent Zack into a shiver fit. The shriek pouring out from his lips was also quite frightening.

With a quick jolt, he immediately turned to discover who his adversary was. The result: Cloud's roommate, Somia. A person who was better left alone than in company. Not because he was ill-tempered but because he was too clingy for anyone to like.

"Why, hello, darling. I wasn't aware you were stopping by for a visit." Somia stood before Zack grinning. He wore his infamous outfit of pink frills and an overly sized bow to keep his long, flowing, ebony-colored hair away from his yellowish eyes.

"What the… Give a guy a heart attack, why don't you?" Zack placed one hand to his chest, being overdramatic to emphasize the shock he received from Somia's presence.

"If I did that, sweetie, then how will I be able to have fun with you later?" He winked at Zack whilst throwing his feather boa he had draped over his shoulders to the ground. He crept slowly up to Zack and leaned in, staring directly into startled blue eyes. "Or perhaps you have time right now?" He smirked and bent slightly, nearly landing his own lips on Zack's. However, Zack ducked out of the way just in time to avoid such a catastrophe. He dashed to the other side of the room still holding onto the hot pink bikini.

"Uh… not that I don't want to. It's just… uh… I have errands I must attend to! Yeah, that's it! Errands!" With one hand placed behind his head, he began to nervously laugh at this predicament.

"Oh, poop… I really wanted a taste of Zachary." Somia pouted and threw himself on top of Cloud's bed. "If the little one was here, he'd go into a fit. He never did like me even looking at his bed. I wonder why…"

_Well, geez, I don't know. Could it be that nobody knows where you've been and it's better to be safe than sorry? Actually, this makes me wonder… how does Cloud handle having a roommate like him?_

"I have no clue… Anyway, have you seen Cloud? We have an important mission to go on and I can't find him."

Somia raised an eyebrow at Zack. It was a rather odd look to receive from a man whose side job was to escort other men on "expeditions." There was an uncomfortable silence that filled the room which Zack had no choice but to question the matter.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Somia cracked a smile on his face and sat up on Cloud's bed. Perhaps it was because Somia had a great insight on detail that he could sense a hidden meaning to Zack's inquiry… or he was just a pervert. Either way, Somia knew that there was more than just the mission that kept Zack searching for the boy.

"No reason. I just know what it's like having someone you can't possibly have. It's truly tragic…" He sighed and held one hand up to his own cheek. "How dreadful it must be for you to go through such unsatisfying situations. If you'd like, I can comfort you in ways that you won't have to worry about your little, insecure friend." Almost as if gliding, he swept up to Zack, having one hand extended to him.

Zack gulped and prayed that he wouldn't have to endure much more of this. "Listen, buddy, I just want to know where he is. I'm sure you're good at what you do and, hell, I wouldn't mind participating but duty before pleasure! Everyone knows that if I were to get started…" Before Zack had a chance to tell of his amazing endurance, Somia stretched out his hand and grabbed the bikini away from Zack. Naturally, the First-Class SOLDIER had no idea how to respond.

"Sorry, babe. I need that for my next assignment."

The look of confusion plagued Zack's face. "You mean… those belong to you?"

"Of course! Who else would wear-" At that moment, the golden-eyed man realized who Zack meant. "Oh, wait until I tell Cloudy what you thought were his undergarments."

Zack's eyes widened with shock as he tried to convince Somia not to do such a dreadful thing. "I'll do anything! Just don't tell him! He'll never forgive me for thinking such dirty thoughts about his boing-boing!"

"You'll have to do me a favor first."

_Oh, crap… I've just entered Dante's Eleventh Level of Hell._

"What is it you want?"

There was a look of pure evil that engulfed the pretty man's face that not even Zack could withstand. This favor would be the end of the optimistic man. Somia was going to make certain that Zack would no longer be able to show his face around town again…

**:A Half Hour Later:**

"Here's your vibrator and Squeeze-Me gel." Shame and humiliation wouldn't even begin to describe how Zack felt.

"Aw, what's the matter, hon? You seem down." He tried to stifle a laugh with the back of his hand but Somia wasn't having any luck with hiding his amusement.

"What do you mean 'what's the matter'? I just had to go to a store, buy crap for your pleasures, and have everyone think that I need to resort to such activities in order to get my soldier to salute!" He curse under his breath and gave Somia a diabolical glare.

"Well, it was either that or I tell Cloud everything about the panty incident."

"I'm starting to think I would have been able to calm him down if I just stroked him the right way."

"Too bad. The damage is done."

"No kidding." He slouched over, hanging his arms low, and began to pick up where he last left off. "Now that I did your _favor_, mind telling me where Cloud is?"

However, getting too much excitement from his new toys, Somia ignored Zack's pathetic attempts in getting an answer from him. He vigorously unwrapped his new vibrator. Turning it on, he squealed for joy to see that it was in working order. "Sweet! It comes with the battery already!"

_I would have better luck asking a squirrel where Cloud is._

"That's nice. Very cool. Now where's Cloud?"

Somia sighed and stared at Zack. "I have no idea."

Zack was, indeed, having an off day. His right eye began to twitch violently and it took all his self-control, which wasn't much, to stop himself from killing the man. "If you didn't know, then why didn't you tell me that before? I could have saved so much time!"

The drag queen giggled a bit before answering. "Because I find it quite entertaining watching you squirm."

"Ha… ha… ha… Is there anything informative you could tell me that might lead to where he is?"

"Now that I think about it, we did have a conversation before he left."

"Then tell me what it was about."

"Well, I saw that he was packing and I just HAD to know where he was going. Of course, he didn't answer at first…"

"Typical of Cloud."

"…so I asked him again. This time a bit _friendlier_ like."

"Typical of you."

"That's when he pushed me and said, 'Go fuck an oyster!' I was so appalled by that response!" He scoffed angrily at the recollection of the event.

"Oh, no… what a dreadful child to suggest such a thing." Zack rolled his eyes at how ridiculously childish the man was being. However, sarcasm seemed to be lost on this man.

"I know! I mean everyone knows that there's no possible way I could make love to an oyster! I'm more of a cucumber man. They just happen to be that much more lov-"

"I don't want to hear about your food fetishes! What else was said in the conversation?"

"Nothing. He just stomped away."

Hearing such a statement, made poor Zack fall over. This was usually a difficult feat bearing in mind that it was Zack in this situation. However, Somia had no problem whatsoever bringing Zack to his knees.

"Oh, don't be like that. I do know a bit about where he might be."

"Really? Where!?" He sat up with enthusiasm. He even appeared almost as if his tail was wagging excitedly; if he had a tail, that is.

Somia stood up from where he stood and walked out to the hall. "He went that way." With a sweet smile, he pointed in the direction where Zack came from before entering Cloud's room and skipped all the way back to Cloud's bed to play some more with his toys. "I hope that helps, darling."

Zack massaged the side of his head for a moment. Why was it that Somia was the only person in the entire world that could make Zack _want_ to jump out a window whilst being on fire?

"No… it DOESN'T help."

"Oops… well, sorry then." With a wave and a cute smile, he said farewell and returned to his playtime.

_That's the last time I talk to that thing again!_ Zack ran off and started searching elsewhere for the vanished blonde.

It took Zack a great deal of time before he was able to find the cavalier boy who was at the library located in the West Wing of the main building. The room was significantly vacant despite the fact there were many who were studying to get into SOLDIER. He was situated in the very back looking out the window, rapt in his own world. Cloud seemed oblivious to the fact his superior stood before him with a stern look on his face.

"Hey, Airhead!!!" The brusque tone in Zack's voice was enough to bring Cloud back to the reality of other's imaginings. "Please. Don't let me disturb you. I'm just waiting patiently for you to come to the meeting place for the past… Oh, I don't know… TWO HOURS!!!" Though rarely ever angered, Cloud clearly had pushed him over the edge with his carelessness.

"Oh… Zack… I didn't see you there." Came the simple reply of the blonde's.

"No! I thought you could by the blank look in your eyes." His sarcastic remark did not seem to faze his subordinate. Zack sighed with exhaustion. He was never one to stay mad for an extended period of time. "What are you doing in a place like this? I didn't think you were the book-reading type."

"I'm not. I just… needed a quiet place to think." After vocalizing such words, Cloud fell silent which wasn't unusual for the blonde. He was never the type to reveal his thoughts to anyone. However, he was always able to carry out a full conversation when it came to his partner in battle. Zack had a way of making even the quietest person seem vociferous.

Zack raised an eyebrow in question of the statement that seeped through Cloud's lips. "Why? What are you thinking about?"

As soon as several moments passed, the sixteen-year-old boy calmly expressed his thoughts on the matter. "Nothing in particular."

The frown that spread across Zack's face was so apparent that even a complete imbecile, like Reno of the Turks, could figure out that his worry for Cloud would only grow as time went on. This mission was going to be a challenge. If not for the beast they were to destroy, then for his handling of the teenager throughout the entire time.

"Cloud, you know you can tell me anything. There's no need for you to say all these lies."

"I'm not lying. It's true. I wasn't thinking about anything of importance."

"But you were thinking of something…"

"No… nothing at all."

At this point, Zack decided to test if what Cloud was saying was true. "So you mean to tell me that you just spent your entire morning here, missing the meeting time that we set, just so you can think about nothing?"

There was an eerie silence that filled the room. The adolescent boy never did break his habit of staying silent when asked a question he wanted to avoid answering. When naught a word was spoken for several minutes, Zack broke the stillness first, as he usually did.

"Look… I'm not trying to hassle you. I'm just trying to help you understand that you don't need to keep everything to yourself. I'm here for you whenever you need help so please… tell me what's bothering you. I'll do what-"

Cloud sighed indifferently, cutting off the concerned-looking man. "I already told you. There's absolutely nothing wrong with me, okay? Now, we should get going before it gets any later and the guys decide to abandon the mission." With that said Cloud arose from his seat and started making his way towards the door before turning around to motion for his superior to follow. "Come on, Zack. You don't want to be left behind now, do you?" The blonde gave a cheeky little smile to him before completely walking out the door.

With a shake of his head, and a determination to allow his friend to forget the thoughts that'd been plaguing his mind taking over, Zack rushed after Cloud, yelling at the top of his lungs. "IF YOU LEAVE ME BEHIND, STRIFE, I SWEAR I'LL COME AFTER YOU WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT AND TOUCH YOU IN WAYS YOU DON'T SEE FIT!"

Cloud smirked to himself and called back to Zack. "Then hurry up, Slow-Mo! I'm not going to wait forever and neither are the others!"

_The nerve of this guy! He keeps me waiting for him all morning and then says that I'M making HIM wait._

Zack finally caught up to Cloud, neither panting nor gasping considering the great shape that he was in. "You have a really bad attitude, you know that?"

Cloud modestly smiled at that last comment whilst walking by his comrade's side, to which his superior grinned as wide as his facial features would allow him. Obviously, they were striving to not bring up what, just moments before, brought them both to a desolate site.

As they made their way out of the building, they could see the truck parked right in front with the other soldiers, waiting for the commander for this mission whilst its horn beeped a rich resonance. To make things go much faster, Zack offered to help Cloud with his pack for the operation which Cloud took from his room minutes before arriving in the hall where he waited for Zack to catch up. "Don't worry, Cloud! I'll handle your bag with care! There's not much in here to begin with. Are you sure you packed enough?"

"Everything that I will need is in there."

"Okay… if you say so." The reverberation from the truck's horn rang out for the twelfth time that morning, giving them the signal that time was running short. "Hurry up, Midget! At this pace, we're going to miss the ship that's to set sail at seven tomorrow morning." He picked up Cloud's pack and ran to the exit, smashing Cloud's belongings into everything he went by, which the blonde only grimaced at rather than doing anything about.

Suddenly, Cloud went expressionless, remembering the circumstances which took place not too long ago.

_It's all right, Zack. It's best if you didn't worry yourself over such matters._

"Hey, Cloud! What are you waiting for? Ramah to appear before you and give you an energy boost? Come on! There's no time!" Zack swung himself on the back of the truck, leaning his head out. "It's nice and warm in here." For reasons only known to him, Zack used a voice that would make any person want to obey him just for the sheer soothing sensation its waves gave out.

"Huh? Oh, right!" Cloud then scurried to where Zack had indicated for him to sit, right beside him, across from Fenad and Vollex. The only one who was not visible from the back and who was not able to witness the actions of the others would be the driver.

"Took you long enough."

"Sorry… I spaced out for a moment."

"I don't blame you. I would be really nervous too if I had to be with someone as gorgeous as me for the next week." His sheepish grin was no surprise to Cloud after knowing him for as long as he did.

Zack's inferior scoffed whilst rolling his eyes, playfully pushing him to the side. "You're so full of it."

"There's so many ways I can turn what you just said into something sexual."

"Please spare me."

The hardy laughter that came from the other three men made Cloud feel a bit out of place but as long as Zack was there, he felt that he would be able to endure what was to come next from this, by now, interesting adventure.


	3. Chapter III: On the Road

**Chapter Title: **On the Road

**Word Count: **3,567

**Summary:** The truck ride to Junon contained too much excitement for one trip.

**Dedication: **To all my people who suffer from the same thing that Cloud and I do. Man, I hate moving objects! XD

**A/N: **I warn you all! This chapter is a bit on the crazy side and rather disgusting towards the end but other than that, it should be fine! XD Enjoy! And the crazy lady under me is my Beta, Vix3.16.

**Beta's Note:** Hi guys! :D I is appropriating this here fic to totally introduce myself to y'all! *WAVES ENTHUSIASTICALLY!* And no, I have no relations to Zack. o-o I just wanted to say, CUTY IS TOTALLY LYING TO YOU ALL! This chapter only gets BETTER and BETTER towards the end. ;D Hope you all enjoy it! And if you find any spelling/grammar mistakes, BLAME ME FOR BEING TOO INTO THE STORY TO NOTICE! X3

**Chapter III: On the Road**

The driver beeped the horn one final time, making sure that everyone was on board, and called out his version of "All aboard!" Zack gave him the okay to leave which, in turn, allowed the driver to finally drive off. Of course, he should have done so hours ago if it wasn't for a certain little daydreamer.

"Hey, Cloud? Did you have anything to eat this morning?" Fenad asked casually when he saw the boy. He and Cloud weren't as close as Zack was to him but he still worried about the kid. One main concern was how he looked so thin which lead to him giving Cloud something to eat whenever he saw him.

"Uh… no. I forgot to get something in the cafeteria."

Fenad chuckled and shook his head. "I knew you would. Here. Have my bagel." He stretched his hand out, smiling.

The bagel had a bit of cream cheese on it, which Cloud wasn't too found of but he wasn't going to make a fuss when someone was being kind to him. "Thank you." He took a bite of the bagel and ate it gingerly. Fenad smiled merrily. However, not everyone in the truck was in a good mood.

"Great. We're two hours late. No thanks to Mr. '_I spaced out for a moment_,'" Vollex said with a high-pitched voice. He often hated to arrive late for work… except when he was out drinking the night before and had a major hangover.

Cloud's face grew a slight shade of pink. He didn't like causing trouble for others; however, he couldn't help when his mind began to wander as it did this morning. "I-I'm sorry." Those were the only words he managed to get out. After all, what was he supposed to say after making everyone late to Junon harbor? I'm sorry for making you all late on account of my A.D.? One would think not.

"Hey, cut the kid some slack. It's not like he was late because he wanted your Chocobo plushie." Fenad grinned, trying to use all his abilities to stifle the laughter that was caught in his throat.

"Ack! You swore you wouldn't tell anyone!!!" Vollex cried out.

"I swore I wouldn't tell anyone on our floor. I don't recall ever saying I wouldn't tell our friends."

"These aren't our friends! They're our colleagues!"

"Funny… that's not what you said when all three of us went drinking last weekend."

"I say a lot of stupid stuff when I'm drunk."

"Yeah, like how your wife was the most beautiful woman you ever saw."

"Exactly my point!"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Everyone then grew silent at how Zack, the lead soldier on this mission, stood up from his sitting position, rocking to and fro on account of the moving truck, sounding quite upset.

The silence on the truck was a bit eerie and not even Cloud, who enjoyed the calm, was comfortable enough to actually soak it in.

_What could be wrong with Zack? He sounds so upset. It's not like him._

With a deep inhale, Zack said what was disturbing his mind. "You have… a Chocobo plushie? Why wasn't I aware of this? Why didn't you tell me?"

It was at that moment that the two men and the boy realized that Zack was… Zack. There really wasn't a better way to describe him, because all words would fail to grasp the true meaning of what it was to be a buffoon.

_I had to ask what was wrong…_

"Why are you all looking at me like that? It's not fair! I should have a Chocobo plushie! I work harder than all of you put together!" Now acting like a child of two, he sat down with a thump, muttering utter nonsense that only a child of two would understand.

"Well, you can't have Ploofy! He's mine! MINE!" Vollex, usually known for his calm and well-organized demeanor, actually began arguing with a man whose own mind was filled with cotton candy.

"Fine! Don't share Ploofy! I don't need your Chocobo plushie anyway! I got the real thing right here." Zack then threw both his arms around Cloud's neck and held him firmly against his chest. "I bet Ploofy isn't as soft as Cloud is. Isn't that right my little Cloudster?" He nuzzled at Cloud, making bizarre sounds that made the boy more uncomfortable than he usually was when surrounded by others.

"Zack, please get off me." Crimson was beginning to look as if it was the youth's natural skin tone.

"Actually, Cloud does look softer," Vollex said, a bit disappointed. He never did like losing to younger boys being softer than his Ploofy.

Fenad leaned over and touched Cloud's smooth, unblemished face. "Well, what do you know? He is softer than Ploofy!" He gave a chuckle to which Vollex scoffed at. "Hey, Cloud? What skin cream do you use?"

_Is this what you call being sexually harassed?_

"Get off me!!!" Cloud began to struggle free whilst Zack squeezed him tighter than he had before.

"There's no way I'm letting those coyotes have my Wuffy!" He lowered his head and placed a tender kiss on Cloud's forehead. "Mío."

"Wuffy? Where did you get that name?" With his eyebrow raised, Vollex questioned something which probably shouldn't have been questioned. Unfortunately, one of Vollex's favorite pastimes was naming objects so he found it somewhat interesting that Zack would name his new pet "Wuffy."

"What I would like to know is when he began to learn Spanish." Fenad dropped his hand from Cloud's face to his knee, still looking at Zack for a response and still wondering what cream the boy used.

"It's short for Puffy Wuffy!" The black spiky-headed man said with his cheerful grin. "Isn't it a cute name?"

"It's sure is something… I'm not sure if _cute_ would cut it though."

"You're just jealous! And that's the only word I know in Spanish. Besides taco. I used to date a Hispanic girl and she kept saying that when she used to touch my p—"

"OKAY!!! That's enough about that now! Not when there's a minor in the group." Fenad, being a bit more responsible than Zack was… or will EVER be, hushed the subject right from the beginning. "You don't want to hear such vile activities. Right, Cloud?" He rubbed Cloud's knee soothingly whilst wearing a gentle smile.

The teen's head began to spin and an enormous amount of heat began to surge in his body. This was the first time he ever felt like this and he wasn't quite used to being the center of attention.

"Hey, back off you brown-haired, green-eyed, broad shoulders, built chest, full lips… uh… where was I going with this?" The First-Class SOLDIER's absent-mindedness got the better of him again for but a moment. "Oh! Right! Stay away from my Wuffy! He doesn't like his master to be a kind hearted, temperate person. He likes them to be—"

"Like you?" No one really had ever seen Zack blush, but at that moment, it appeared to everyone in the truck—except for the driver and Cloud, who seemed to be suffocating from Zack's hug—that he was actually blushing from what Fenad said. "Don't worry," Fenad continued. "I don't plan to take him away."

"Really? Thanks, Fenad."

"No problem. He's too young for me anyway," he said with a smirk pouring over his face.

"Wha—? He's too—" A more than alarmed Zack lost his words for the first time and held onto Cloud as much as he could.

"Oh, why don't you guys get a room!?" Vollex was sick of the sight and just wanted to enjoy the rest of the truck ride. However, everyone knew he was still sore from the fact that Cloud was softer than his plushie.

"Calm down, Vollex." Fenad finally lifted his hand from Cloud's knee and sat beside Vollex again. "Let them have fun. They rarely hang out, right?"

Zack began to wobble back and forth, not because of the truck but because of his fear of losing his Wuffy to Fenad. "No. Mine. Can't have. My Wuffy-poo!"

"Uh, Zack? Are you okay?" Fenad asked.

"It's all because you said you wanted Cloud. You know you can't steal away his toys," Vollex chided.

"But I didn't say that!"

"Zack… I can't… breathe." Cloud's face was now a shade of purple, which instantly made his superior let go. As if he had been holding his breath for three hours, Cloud took as many big breaths as his body would allow him. "Thanks," he said icily to his superior. "I finally know what air is like." His glare was cold but not too surprising to Zack.

"Sorry, man. I kinda forgot that you were in my arms. If you want, I can make it all better!" He cracked his knuckles and opened his arms wide.

It's true that he had no idea what the mischievous soldier had in mind, but Cloud was not about to find out. "I think I'll pass."

"Awww! You know how to disappoint a guy."

Cloud sighed and rested back against the wall of the truck. This entire morning, he was turning different shades of color and now he was turning a light green. His head was still spinning and there was a strong pain in his stomach.

"Zack, Cloud doesn't look so good. Maybe you should check on him." Despite the fact that he'd said he didn't want Cloud, Fenad was still concerned for the boy. Almost as much as an older brother would be.

Zack leaned over Cloud and tried to look directly into his eyes but the blonde had them shut tight. "Hey, Cloud. What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"

"Who wouldn't feel sick after all that rocking back and forth you did with him?" Vollex's snotty remarks were what earned him respect throughout the entire ShinRa HQ. After all, Vollex was a Second-Class SOLDIER, and there was a rumor he would be promoted to First-Class if this mission went well.

"Shut up! What I do with my friends is my business!" Zack gave one final glare at Vollex, then went straight back to tending to his friend. "Buddy? Do you need some fresh air? I can tell the truck driver to stop."

"Oh, come on! We've only been on the road for an hour and thirty-seven minutes!"

Vollex received a rather curious stare from Fenad that made him clear his throat nervously.

"What? I like to keep track of the time. Anyway, considering we're already late as it is, we can't stop to take a break. The ship leaves tomorrow morning and we're still miles away from Junon!"

"Vollex, if he's sick, I'm sure we can take a few minutes for him to have fresh air."

"Do you not understand the circumstances we are in here, Fenad? If we don't arrive in time for the ship, then we'll have to wait for the next to dock and that won't be till next week! The weather is making it too difficult to travel! Unless we take this one, we'll have to wait even longer! Then we'll have more casualties on our hands!"

"Will you two shut up! You're not making it any easier for him!" Buffoon or not, Zack was still their commander on this mission and they had to obey him whether they liked it or not.

"Zack…" Cloud's voice grew fainter by the second. His face was pale, or paler than usual, and sweat began to drip from his face. With this entire situation unfolding, Zack wondered if it was a smart idea to bring him along.

_Maybe he's a bit frailer than I thought. I didn't mean to get him sick… I thought that he could handle it._

"What is it Cloud? Want that fresh air?"

"Zack… I don't feel too well…"

"I know. What abo—" Before he could finish his sentence, Cloud straightened up as high as he possibly could and released his morning's bagel right on top of Mr. Vollex.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

A few hours later, they arrived at Junon harbor. It was already dark as night and the ship would be leaving in just about four hours. Each one of them let out an exasperated sigh, finally glad to be there and also glad to be away from the awful stench of Vollex's uniform. Since there was nothing that he could have cleaned himself up with besides a towel, they had to endure the smell throughout the entire ride.

"Next time, warn us if you have motion sickness." Vollex's glare was colder than Shiva's snowstorm.

"Yes, sir." Was the simple reply of the blonde who had vomit breath.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find a pond, fill it up with soap, and stay in there until I'm able to get your gunk off me." Vollex turned around; leaving the blonde behind as the townsfolk stared silently at him. "Yeah, yeah. I'm the Puke Guy. Want to make something of it? Yeah I didn't think so!" With that, Vollex vanished into a shack that had been made ready just for their team in case they needed to make any last minute preparations before heading off to sea.

Zack approached Cloud from behind and placed his left hand on Cloud's right shoulder. "You'd better get some sleep. Only a few more hours before we set sail and you'll need all the rest you can get."

"Alright." Cloud took a few steps before being shouted at by Zack.

"Don't forget to brush your teeth first. Your breath smells of something fierce." Zack then held his hand up to his nose pinching it as if he could smell Cloud's breath from where he stood.

"Funny. I'll go brush it now and before we leave tomorrow." Once again he turned before Zack called him again. "What is it now?"

"Don't forget to bring your toothbrush with you. I have a feeling that you are going to need it a lot throughout this sea journey."

"You're probably right. Next time, I'll aim at you!"

"What? And get this beautiful face covered in your muck? I don't think so, honey."

The blue-eyed boy shook his head, walking towards his resting place for the night. "You see? It's guys like you that make other people wonder if we're mentally retarded."

"It's guys like me that make other people wonder if I'm single or not. Trust me. No one can resist this!" He held up him arm showing off his muscles to Cloud.

"Are you always this conceited? Why haven't I noticed before?"

"I'm only like this when I want to have fun. Believe me. I'm not always this bad… unless you want me to be." It frightened him a bit but Cloud was getting used to Zack's conniving smirk.

"Good night, Zack."

"Huh? Wait! Why do you always leave me hanging like that? It never fails! What? You can't admit you want this? Come on! Come back!"

The night, however, turned out to be quiet without Zack's constant talking. It was peaceful and Cloud took pleasure in walking side by side with his superior. Even though he had loads of trouble on the inside, he wasn't going to let it get in the way of his friendship.

Once inside the tiny building they were to spend the last few remaining hours of the night in, Cloud bathed, and then—brushing his teeth profusely—he took his place at the bed near the side wall. He laid down facing the wall, not realizing that there were only two beds. He figured that since he took one of the beds, the other two who stood without one would have to sleep on the floor. You would think that he would know Zack by now.

The cerulean-eyed man calmly bathed himself, brushed his teeth, and took up the other half of the bed with Cloud whilst the others in the room diligently played Janken to figure out who would win the bed.

Cloud tensed a bit when he felt the presence of another body near his own. So it was only natural that he would stiffen up extremely when he felt someone's arm wrap around his waist. His cheeks grew red once again and he tried to move further away from the man's grasp. However, like before, his efforts were futile. Whether anyone would like to believe it or not, Zack had a pretty firm grip.

"Zack, I—"

"Shhh! I'm trying to sleep." He brought Cloud closer against his body and placed his head nearer to the boy's neck, taking in his fragrance as he laid there. The boy's scent was so enriching that it almost immediately placed him into a trancelike, blissful sleep.

_But… why? Zack…_

Cloud could feel Zack's breath tickle him but it did not matter to him in the least. This was a comfort he had never known. It felt different from when his mother used to hold him. It felt almost pure. He was safe. He was secure. He knew that if he were to lie like this forever, he had nothing to plague him because he knew that Zack would be there looking out for him.

He let his body relax within Zack's arms and released a relieved sigh he held onto for some time. Of course he knew how rare it was for him to feel like this. No point in being tensed all night when he had someone he trusted close by. And secretly, he wished for the night to come to a stand still.

"Good night, Zack."

Zack's smile has never been more genuine than the one he wore at that moment. Unfortunately, the only one who knew of this was himself and the wind that came flowing through the window.

"Sweet dreams, Cloud."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Fenad was sleeping soundly on his bed with nothing but wonderful dreams exploring his mind. Vollex, on the other hand, was stretch out on the floor with a raggedy blanket and Ploofy under his arm, screaming in his sleep, "YOU WILL NEVER HAVE MY KINGDOM OF MALTED MILK BALLS!!!"


	4. Chapter IV: Are You Ready Yet?

**Chapter Title: **Are You Ready Yet?

**Word Count: **2,707

**Summary:** Cloud and Zack prepare for their boat ride.

**Dedication: **To anyone who has a perverted mind, like Zack. XD

**A/N: **There's not much to say about this chapter except that we get a mention of someone special to Cloud… and No! It's not Zack… well… at least not yet! And yes. As you can see, I am making Cloud fit into the whole "I'm a teen… so?" mood in this fic. I always felt that he was a bit more playful in Crisis Core and so that's what's going to go on in this fic! You have been warned! Mwahahaha! XD Enjoy! Oh, and if you don't know who my Beta is by now… then you really are not searching hard enough. XD

**B/N:** OH LOOK. IT IS I. THE BETA FOR THIS FIC. owo …hi guys! xD Look, look! Rain finally updated! HOORAY! Once again, I have merely touched up on this lovely fic, to make it flow smoother, and I hope you all can enjoy it! Although this is a short update, I feel like it's definitely worth the read. Rain hasn't told me what she has planned yet, but I just _feel_ it in my bones that this is building up to something! And I know Rain won't disappoint. ;3 So I hope you all enjoy this long-awaited-for update! X3 Cheer Rain on into updating sooner! xD I can only do so much! –Laughs!- Till next time! X3

**Chapter IV: Are You Ready Yet?**

The sun shone brightly on Cloud's face. He squinted whilst his eyes were still closed, placing the blanket over his head. It was too early for someone who went to bed only two and a half hours ago to wake up to face the day. A normal person would not have the energy to get up to use the restroom, let alone get ready for a sea adventure. Zack, however, was not a normal person.

"Wake up, Sleepyhead!" The energetic man, no matter what time of day, was bouncing on top of Cloud. Almost screaming in his ear, Zack then began to pull on the sheets that the younger boy seemed to hold onto for dear life. "Let's go, Cloud! It's time to get up!"

Cloud moaned and simply shoved his superior off him. "Fifteen more minutes."

The dark-haired man threw his entire body on top of Cloud, demanding for the youth to rise from his slumber. "The ship _leaves_ in fifteen minutes! I swear, if you don't get up, I'm going to have to force you to get ready… and we all know how you _love_ that." Zack smirked, stroking the blonde's back tenderly.

Almost instantly, Cloud's eyes shot open. He rose to his feet, pushing Zack onto the floor, and rushed into the bathroom where only flowing water from the shower could be heard.

Zack chuckled, in spite of himself, whilst raising himself off the floor to get his belongings together. Fenad and Vollex were waiting for them from within the ship that was to take them near the town of Icicle Inn. Of course, this wasn't unusual for the duo. They were always the first ones to make it to a destination before any of their other team members. However, they did grow tired of waiting for their outlandish commander and his aloof subordinate.

All eight of his bags were packed and ready to go. He could hear the rumble of the shower coming to a halt whilst listening to tiny movements from within the room. Considering they only had eight minutes to make it to the ship before it set sail, Zack took the liberty to pack Cloud's belongings. He was confident that he wouldn't leave anything behind.

_He only brought one bag. How hard could it be to pack it?_

Little did Zack know that he would pack everything except for one important item...

"Okay let's see. I got his uniform… oh, wait… he's going to put that on now." With a simple toss of the clothing to the floor, the cerulean-eyed man began to pack up Cloud's possessions again. "Now where's his toothbrush? That's right! He must have left it in the bathroom when he used it last night! So… what else did he bring? Underwear? Found them! Whoa! Twenty-four pairs of underwear? How much does the kid need?"

At that moment, the blonde stepped out of the bathroom with only a towel around his waist. His hair was soaked and, Zack observed, it was a few inches above Cloud's shoulder. One could never really tell how long his hair was due to the gravity-defyingness to it. His body glistened from each water droplet that ran down his slender but dazzling form. His skin was a tad redder due to the hot water pouring on it from moments before, but he still looked exquisite in Zack's eyes.

How peculiar that his cheeks began to burn. Why would they? He'd been around people he felt attracted to before yet he never once felt nervous from it. If anything, he was known to be rather flirtatious. In fact, he even made a few public displays with even the boy in question, i.e. the truck ride. Nevertheless, this had been the first time he had ever seen Cloud with barely anything on.

"With you around, there's no telling how many pairs of underwear I may need." Cloud placed his arms across his chest, narrowing his eyes whilst wondering why his friend was going through his things.

He quickly looked away from his young friend, cheeks glowing crimson. "Really? You think I would do somethi-" Once again, Zack was cut off before he was able to finish his sentence.

"No! Remember that time when I wanted to do the laundry but you decided to do it in my place?"

"You mean the time when I put your underwear in the blender instead of the washing machine?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I mean."

"Heh… you're right then. You DO need that much underwear." Zack laughed whole-heartedly, finally overcoming his bashfulness and picked up Cloud's uniform from the floor. "Here you go, buddy. Hurry into this! We don't have much time left." He gently smiled and handed over the clothing.

Cloud smiled back, a rather faint smile, whilst walking a bit closer to Zack, which made the man somewhat nervous all over again. "Hey, Zack?"

"Uh… yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

_Oh no… not now! We don't have enough time for that! Well, I guess I can go fast if I really put my mind to it._

"Wh-what is it?"

"Can you take off my underwear from your head? I kind of need it right now." A blush crept onto the boy's cheek. He never expected to say such a thing before and although he could have easily grabbed another pair in his bag, he didn't want the entire world to see them in plain sight on his superior. However, because they were friends first, he decided to not give the SOLDIER too much of a hard time. Odin knows that he could.

Zack sighed and handed over the plain black boxers. He turned his back to continue to pack whilst also giving the blonde some privacy, which wasn't needed for he trotted back into the bathroom.

_I got my hopes up for nothing… Damn it…_

"Zack," came Cloud's voice. It sounded muffled due to the closed door between him and the other soldier. "You're packing my stuff, aren't you?

"Well, if I let you do it, we'll be leaving to the Glacier in spring."

"Did you pack _everything_?"

"What, exactly, is 'everything'? Your toothbrush and some shorts? Man, you've packed nothing in here! And your toothbrush is still in there."

It was a normal routine with the two. Cloud asked a question. Zack gave a foolish reply. Cloud got frustrated and it went downhill from there. Of course, all was well again once Zack showed his much more caring side. A side that appeared on his countenance a few times a day… and a side that always managed to get the blonde in a much more relaxed, blissful mood. Something which wasn't apparent to either of them but was accepted as how it should be.

Cloud sighed with exasperation. "Forget about my toothbrush for a second! That wasn't the only thing I packed!"

"Then hurry up in there, princess. I don't know where you put your secret stash!"

The door to the bathroom slammed open, this time with a fully clothed Cloud appearing from it. His hair seemed a bit more unruly than it usually did. The young boy must have just run the towel through his hair a couple of times which would explain the "unique" hairstyle it usually settled into. This little insight to how the flaxen-haired boy prepared himself for the day made Zack's heart leap in delight. The boy never allowed for anyone to know about his habits. The fact Zack was able to see this side of Cloud gave him hope that maybe one day…

"You're hopeless," came the somewhat irritated voice of the blonde.

Zack scoffed playfully and poked Cloud's stomach once he was close enough. "Said the boy with the green skin. Ready to puke on Vollex again today?"

"Shut up." The young boy began looking around the bed. He seemed to be searching for something that was of value to him. Of what, Zack had no idea. However, not wanting to leave his friend to search on his own, he got down on all fours and searched under the other bed where Fenad had rested the previous night.

"What am I looking for?"

"It should be here…"

"What am I looking for?"

"Where could it be?"

_Is he deaf or what?_

"What am-"

"A picture." The blonde fell silent afterwards. The only sounds that could be heard were of him rustling through his belongings and on the desk where he placed the photo last night.

_A picture… ?_

In just a few moments, Zack looked behind the bedpost to find a picture frame. He assumed it must have fallen onto the floor during one of Vollex's escapades with his malted milk balls. The frame was bright silver with intricate designs Zack had never seen before, yet they seemed strangely familiar.

_Huh… he's from Nibelheim… yet this doesn't seem to be made there. Then where…?_

He continued to examine the photo further. It seemed to be slightly faded due to age but it was clear the picture contained a beautiful blonde woman with gorgeous blue eyes wearing a simple sky-blue house dress with an apron on top. Her pose was of her waving at the camera with a warm smile whilst carrying an iron in her free hand. The same picture he saw on Cloud's dresser back at HQ.

"Wow… what a babe. I do believe we have lift-off!"

Cloud looked up from searching his bag for the tenth time and dashed across the room to where Zack was. "Don't talk about my mother that way!" He snatched the photo from Zack's grasp and walked calmly over to his bag, placing it gently inside.

Zack was dumbfounded. "That was… your mother? No way! How can something as pretty as that give birth to something like you!? It makes no sense!"

"Shut up, Zack! Everything's packed so let's just go." With that said, the blonde turned on his heel and walked out the door in a much hastened strut.

Left to wander in his own thoughts, the dark-haired man began chuckling as he recalled the angered look on Cloud's face when the mention of his mother was being sprawled out from Zack's lips.

"So, that's his mother… I can tell she's a kind soul… just like him." He was, indeed, correct. She was an amazing woman with a caring heart. She sacrificed everything to raise her son properly. The hardships she had to endure… one could not even imagine. Unfortunately, now was not the time or place for such a tale… but perhaps soon…

The cerulean-eyed man smiled to himself and ran out the door of the shack, once again trying to catch up to his younger comrade.

_I swear… that kid… is faster than Kunsel when he's looking for his next big scoop!_

He rushed up the ramp of the ship just to see he was seconds away from being left behind.

"Phew! Made it!" Wiping imaginary sweat from his brow, he looked to his other three companions and grinned.

"Crap… I was hoping you'd get left behind."

"Now, now, Vollex. That's not a very nice thing to say." Fenad placed one hand on Vollex's shoulder. "You should apologize to him."

"I don't DO apologies."

"Ah, that's okay! I don't mind. I'll just have to call your wife to tell her you said she smelled like old cheese." Zack removed his cell phone from his back pocket and began dialing Vollex's number.

"No! Don't do that! I'm… ugh… sorry! There! Are you happy?"

He placed one finger over the 'Send' button, whilst glancing back at his companion with a mischievous look in his eyes. "Like you mean it."

"Damn you, Zack! Alright fine!" Vollex exhaled dramatically, acting as if this truly was a difficult task. "I'm very sorry. I truly do not deserve to be in your presence, Almighty Leader."

"That was a cheap act." Fenad playfully pushed Vollex, hoping he would stop his childishness and apologize correctly to the man.

However, this was not necessary considering how Zack fell for it. "Why, thank you, my good man! That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"Yes. Yes it was."

"You need to relax some more. Here. Let me help you."

"No. Wait! What are you doing? No! Stop! That's my lumbago!"

Whilst the two laughed at the grumpiest member in the group, Cloud stood at the edge of the boat looking out to sea whilst the ship took off. His eyes were lost; somewhere distant. To where, only his conscious knew, uneasy thoughts coming to shroud his mind. Why was it that he was the only one that wasn't allowed to enjoy this beautiful scenery?

_Am I supposed to feel this out of place?_

The ship sailed on for the next couple of hours without much of anything to keep them entertained.

Although… they were traveling with a rambunctious lot with the head being known for causing chaos. This trip wasn't going to be as peaceful as one would hope. After all, what else was there to do when you were trapped on a ship, miles away from your destination, surrounded by your best mates?

Zack would have an answer for that and, perhaps, it would make a certain someone realize this SOLDIER First-Class's antics had meaning to them… much more meaning than he realized.

_Don't worry, buddy. Even if you feel you're all alone… Don't worry. Because… I'll be your ocean._


End file.
